Electoral district of West Perth
Encyclopedia
The Electoral district of West Perth was a Legislative Assembly
electorate
in the state
of Western Australia
. The district was named for its location immediately to the west of the central business district of Perth
.
West Perth was created as one of the initial 30 single-member districts, and one of only six in the Perth-Fremantle area, and its first member, elected on 10 December 1890, was Timothy Quinlan
, a Perth city councillor and publican at the Shamrock Hotel. Quinlan became embroiled in a controversy regarding provision of state aid to private schools, which he and fellow Catholic MLAs Thomas Molloy
and Alfred Canning supported. The Catholic Vicar General, Father Anselm Bourke
, established the Education Defence League with their assistance. However, the issue became a major one in the 1894 election amongst the voting public, and all three MLAs lost their seats, Quinlan losing to former Fremantle
mayor Barrington Wood. Wood was defeated in the 1901 elections
by George Leake
, the former opposition leader
who was able to form a ministry
and become the third Premier of Western Australia
.
The seat had several other notable members—the first female member of Parliament in Western Australia, Edith Cowan
; the Attorney-General
in the second Mitchell Ministry
, Thomas Davy, who was widely considered to be leadership material until his death while playing billiards at the Savoy Hotel in 1933, and Robert Ross McDonald, the leader of the Nationalist Party
from 1938 until 1946 and one of the key architects of the Western Australian division of the Liberal Party
, established in 1945.
The seat was generally safe for non-Labor
candidates and parties throughout its existence, although a redistribution following the abolition of the seat of Perth
prior to the 1950 election, which extended the seat east to Barrack Street, enabled Labor to hold the seat for its final three terms. Its final member, Stanley Heal, successfully transferred to the recreated seat of Perth following West Perth's abolition in a redistribution in 1961 ahead of the 1962 election
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....
electorate
Electoral districts of Western Australia
The Western Australian Legislative Assembly is elected from 59 single-member electoral districts. These districts are often referred to as electorates or seats....
in the state
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. The district was named for its location immediately to the west of the central business district of Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
.
West Perth was created as one of the initial 30 single-member districts, and one of only six in the Perth-Fremantle area, and its first member, elected on 10 December 1890, was Timothy Quinlan
Timothy Quinlan
Timothy Francis Quinlan, CMG was a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1890 to 1911, and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 1905 to 1911....
, a Perth city councillor and publican at the Shamrock Hotel. Quinlan became embroiled in a controversy regarding provision of state aid to private schools, which he and fellow Catholic MLAs Thomas Molloy
Thomas Molloy
Thomas George Anstruther Molloy was an Australian politician. He was a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for the electorate of Perth from 1892 until 1894, and thereafter became a perennial candidate unsuccessfully standing for Parliament no less than 14 times. He also was the...
and Alfred Canning supported. The Catholic Vicar General, Father Anselm Bourke
Anselm Bourke
Mgr Anselm Bourke, born Nicholas Bourke, was a Roman Catholic priest of Irish origins. He was prominent in Catholic education for several decades, and also founded the West Perth parish of the Church in 1901...
, established the Education Defence League with their assistance. However, the issue became a major one in the 1894 election amongst the voting public, and all three MLAs lost their seats, Quinlan losing to former Fremantle
City of Fremantle
The City of Fremantle is a Local Government Area in South Metropolitan Perth. The City covers an area of , and lies about southwest of the Perth central business district.-History:...
mayor Barrington Wood. Wood was defeated in the 1901 elections
Western Australian state election, 1901
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 24 April 1901 to elect 50 members to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly...
by George Leake
George Leake
George Leake CMG QC was Premier of Western Australia from 27 May 1901 to 21 November 1901, and again from 23 December 1901 until his death on 24 June 1902.-Early life:...
, the former opposition leader
Leader of the Opposition (Western Australia)
The Leader of the Opposition in Western Australia is the leader of the largest minority political party or coalition of parties in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Western Australia. By convention, he or she is generally a member of the Legislative Assembly...
who was able to form a ministry
First Leake ministry
The First Leake Ministry was the third Ministry of the Government of Western Australia and was led by Premier George Leake, who had hitherto been the Leader of the Opposition...
and become the third Premier of Western Australia
Premier of Western Australia
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
.
The seat had several other notable members—the first female member of Parliament in Western Australia, Edith Cowan
Edith Cowan
Edith Dircksey Cowan , MBE was an Australian politician, social campaigner and the first woman elected to an Australian parliament....
; the Attorney-General
Attorney-General of Western Australia
The Attorney-General of Western Australia is the member of the Government of Western Australia responsible for maintenance and improvement of Western Australia's system of law and justice. Before the advent of representative government in 1870, the title was Advocate-General of Western Australia...
in the second Mitchell Ministry
Second Mitchell Ministry
The Second Mitchell Ministry was the 17th Ministry of the Government of Western Australia and was led by Nationalist Premier Sir James Mitchell. It succeeded the First Collier Ministry on 23 April 1930, following the defeat of the Labor government at the 1930 election on 26 March.The ministry...
, Thomas Davy, who was widely considered to be leadership material until his death while playing billiards at the Savoy Hotel in 1933, and Robert Ross McDonald, the leader of the Nationalist Party
Nationalist Party of Australia
The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime...
from 1938 until 1946 and one of the key architects of the Western Australian division of the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
, established in 1945.
The seat was generally safe for non-Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
candidates and parties throughout its existence, although a redistribution following the abolition of the seat of Perth
Electoral district of Perth
The Electoral district of Perth is a Legislative Assembly electorate in the state of Western Australia. Perth is named for the capital city of Western Australia whose central business district falls within its borders. It is one of the oldest electorates in Western Australia, with its first member...
prior to the 1950 election, which extended the seat east to Barrack Street, enabled Labor to hold the seat for its final three terms. Its final member, Stanley Heal, successfully transferred to the recreated seat of Perth following West Perth's abolition in a redistribution in 1961 ahead of the 1962 election
Western Australian state election, 1962
Elections were held in the state of Western Australia on 31 March 1962 to elect all 50 members to the Legislative Assembly. The Liberal-Country coalition government, led by Premier Sir David Brand, won a second term in office against the Labor Party, led by Opposition Leader Bert Hawke.The election...
Members for West Perth
| Member | Party | Term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timothy Quinlan Timothy Quinlan Timothy Francis Quinlan, CMG was a Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1890 to 1911, and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 1905 to 1911.... |
1890–1894 | ||
| Barrington Wood | Ministerialist | 1894–1901 | |
| George Leake George Leake George Leake CMG QC was Premier of Western Australia from 27 May 1901 to 21 November 1901, and again from 23 December 1901 until his death on 24 June 1902.-Early life:... |
Oppositionist | 1901–1902 | |
| Charles Moran Charles Moran Charles Moran was an American racecar driver.-Indy 500 results:... |
Independent | 1902–1905 | |
| Frederick Illingworth Frederick Illingworth Frederick Illingworth , Australian politician, was a Member of Parliament in two Australian states, and a government minister in Western Australia... |
Ministerialist | 1905–1907 | |
| Thomas Draper Thomas Draper Thomas "Shang" Draper was a professional criminal in New York City.Draper ran a waterfront saloon in his native New York City where he performed a confidence scam using an underage girl to lure a mark to a dark hotel room only to rob him... |
Ministerialist | 1907–1911 | |
| Eben Allen | Liberal (WA) | 1911–1917 | |
| Thomas Draper Thomas Draper Thomas "Shang" Draper was a professional criminal in New York City.Draper ran a waterfront saloon in his native New York City where he performed a confidence scam using an underage girl to lure a mark to a dark hotel room only to rob him... |
Nationalist Nationalist Party of Australia The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime... |
1917–1921 | |
| Edith Cowan Edith Cowan Edith Dircksey Cowan , MBE was an Australian politician, social campaigner and the first woman elected to an Australian parliament.... |
Nationalist | 1921–1924 | |
| Thomas Davy | Nationalist | 1924–1933 | |
| Robert Ross McDonald | Nationalist | 1933–1945 | |
| Liberal Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office... |
1945–1950 | ||
| Joseph Totterdell | Liberal | 1950–1953 | |
| Stanley Heal | Labor Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... |
1953–1962 | |